(OK, maybe some hyperbole there, but read on!)
These were Carolina Crown's percussion scores in Finals for the five years prior to last season:
2012 -- 18.800 (6th)
2013 -- 18.700 (6th)
2014 -- 18.450 (7th)
2015 -- 18.950 (5th)
2016 -- 18.675 (5th)
(As given at the From the Pressbox website, which does seem to lop off decimals from time to time.)
In those five years, it was repeatedly said on these forums and elsewhere (even by the commentators on the cinema screenings) that Crown's percussion was weak, bad, faulty, deficient, imperfect, defective, inferior, poor, lame, inadequate, shoddy, and so forth.
And not just relatively bad but absolutely bad. I remember querying this point on more than one occasion. I noted that these are all Box 5 scores and thus, by any absolute measure, Crown was fielding very strong percussion lines. But no, came the replies: it wasn't just that Crown's percussion wasn't as strong as Crown's other elements or as other corps' percussion or that it was (with one exception) keeping them from a championship or medals position; no: Crown's percussion was just not good. That claim was made repeatedly.
So these appear to be the five best scores achieved by DCI percussion this past weekend:
17.50 -- Cavaliers
17.50 -- Carolina Crown
17.25 -- Blue Devils
17.20 -- Santa Clara Vanguard
17.20 -- Boston Crusaders
(I may have missed one or more, but you get the point. Again I used From the Pressbox as my source.)
Not one Box 5 score among them, and yet commentators here are offering a fair bit of praise for these lines. But if you had a time machine and could drop any one of these corps of last weekend into the 2012-2016 Finals, surely their percussion would be crushed by Finals-Crown of those years . . .
Wouldn't they?
I'm genuinely curious to know what people think about that.
Are these 2018 mid-season percussion scores too low? Were Crown's 2012-2016 Box 5 Finals percussion scores too high?
That is to say: do Cavaliers right now actually have a Box 5 percussion section? And did Crown by Finals in 2012-2016 still have a Box 4 percussion section (or worse)?
(How much improvement in numbers is real, relative to the descriptions on the sheets, and how much is just numbers management?)
Or when people say that Crown's percussion as the 2012-2016 seasons ended was bad, is that a serious exaggeration?
In scoring terms, where is the dividing line between good percussion and bad percussion anyway? Was Crown's percussion ever very good in those years? Is Cavaliers' percussion section already very good?
Feel free to apply any of those questions to other elements or to corps as a whole. Already people are talking about how they have listened to this or that early season performance repeatedly. Does anyone do that with a poor performance? At what point, as far as scores are concerned, does a corps become worth listening to?
I look forward to everyone's thoughts.

I am working on a Drum Corps World article on Melissa "Mely" Salguero the 2018 Grammy Educator Of The Year. I have a ton of material from the hundreds of interviews and stories about her life leading up to her Grammy. What is missing is her time in the marching arts as a member of the Americans in 2000 and the Boston Crusaders 2001-2004. I will be interviewing her in a few days, but what I seek is quotes from people who marched with her. Also, if you have a question that you would like me to ask her. If you have any interesting or funny anecdotes I would love to hear from you.
Thanks!

Hi everyone,
as 2017 comes to an end, I thought that it would be nice to take some time to look back on the events that occurred in 2017. For starters, Blue Devils won their 18th title in 2017 and celebrated their 60th anniversary. Also in 2017, the Santa Clara Vanguard finished in 2nd and also celebrated their 50th anniversary as well. It was the first time Santa Clara Vanguard medaled since 2004. Also in 2017, the Cavaliers, the Boston Crusaders, the Madison Scouts, and the Mandarins made incredible jumps in 2017. The Cavaliers managed to slide into 4th place at DCI finals ahead of the Bluecoats, the Boston Crusaders finished in 6th place and beat the Cadets for the first time since 1980, the Madison Scouts made it back into the finals and finished in 12th place, and the Mandarins had their best season ever and finished in 13th place, their highest placement ever. They also finished the season with a 85.550, their highest score ever. Lastly, to conclude this list, we have Genesis and Music City. Genesis finished their very first competitive season in world class in 2017. They finished in 23th place and scored a 76.213, their highest score ever. And finally, the biggest headline for 2017 is Music City’s move to world class. Music City finished in 4th place in open class finals and finished in 24th place in world championship semi finals. In open class finals, Music City scored their highest score ever and scored a 76.763. In the world class semi finals, Music City scored a 74.275, their highest finish at DCI world class championships. Overall, 2017 was a great year and hopefully, we will have many great new story lines next year in 2018!

Hi everyone,
Here is episode 4 of my match up series.
Looking back at the 2017 season, one of the biggest story lines was that the Boston Crusaders beat the Cadets for the first time since 1979. The Boston Crusaders finished 6th and the Cadets finished 7th. Looking at both corps, the Cadets moved away from using uniforms and shakos and made the transition to costumes. Also, the Cadets bought back a show theme from an earlier show that they did in 1983. As for the Boston Crusaders, they kept wearing uniforms and stepped up their game competitively. They beat the cadets for the first time since 1979. Also, the Boston Crusaders moved from 12th to 6th in one season.
Having said all that, who do you think will score and finish higher?
Please vote in the poll and we will find out!

The first Thanksgiving was in Plymouth, Massachusetts so let's do Boston this week.
What are your top 1-5 all time Boston Crusaders shows?
(Optional) What are your 1-3 least favorites from them?
You can go into as much or little detail as you like but please please try to keep things positive.
For a quick recap in case you missed it and/or want to add your contributions:
Week 1- Cavies- 2006 the Machine is the favorite and 2012 15 min of fame is the least favorite.
Week 2- Jersey Surf- 2012 Bridgemania favorite
Week 3- Blue Knights-1994 Trittico for bras band favorite. least 2001Blue Toons
Week 4- Spirit of Atlanta- 1980 favorite
Week 5- Carolina Crown- Favorite: 2015 Inferno; Least Favorite: 2017 ...It is
Week 6- The Mandarins- 2017 inside the ink for favorite.

So it's the beginning of July. We've got a pretty good idea what most of the corps are doing and what many of them have achieved so far. The sleek new uniforms have been revealed, crazy props dragged all over the field, and people are lining up the strollers in the front row in baby-throwing anticipation. I'm always lurking and reading, and from what I can tell, these are the 5 corps with the most hype right now.
(In no particular order)
Mandarins - These guys have been slowly building a contender the past few years. They've got a great show design and performers that are keeping up with the demand Can they push their way into the top 12 this year?
Bluecoats - Their show design is top notch. They're using that zig-zaggy prop in crazy creative ways. You won't be able to buy a bowler hat anywhere in the US come August.
Blue Devils - A brass book that's got more runs than after a trip to Taco Bell. The visual is a step behind, but they are already executing at a high level. No one ever counts out BD.
SCV - A really complete show design with medalist potential. They're easily keeping up with BD's scores out on the west coast. The circles are the bomb and they use them SO well.
Boston Crusaders - They've been running with the new staff hype for a while, and so far they've delivered. Great music and high visual demand. How far up can they go?
What do you think? Did I miss someone? Is there a corps that we haven't seen yet that'll make even bigger waves? (OC, Cascades, Surf) This is just my opinion, feel free to debate and discuss.

The 2017 drum corps season has started, and so has my show review season!
I reviewed two shows for the June edition of Drum Corps World. The first was the DCI Tour Premiere cinecast on Thursday, June 22. The focus of that review was on the technical aspects of the cinecast. A separate review of the performances is also in the June issue.
The second review was of the Innovations in Brass: Massillon show on Saturday, June 24. That review was a performance review of all 5 World Class and 2 SoundSport corps which performed that night.
http://www.gaminnet.info/?p=3054

Presenting an exclusive look at upcoming Boston Crusaders show and season just two days before the Boston Crusaders kick-off the 2016 DCI Tour in movie theaters across the country.
Join us live from Inspire Arts and Music headquarters in Hyde Park for a detailed designer’s preview of the 2016 production of Quixotic. We’ll have look-in video from recent rehearsals, a wrap-up of preseason performances in Boston, highlights of the upcoming tour, clips from the 75th Anniversary Documentary, Corps of Giants, and more.
Tune in for the live stream on the Boston Crusaders YouTube Channel on Tuesday, June 21 at 7:30 PM EDT.
Here is the link for that live broadcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3eQBJDqH7w

Hello everyone! My name's Sara Rogers & I'm in need of a bit of help!
I'm currently in the running to win a 2 week trip to Norway to be a Photojournalist for Visit Norway. It's a BIG deal and could possibly change my life for the better! All you need to do is VOTE for me! I promise, for signing up, you won't be spammed with emails. It's a one time sign-up and no strings attached to vote. You're also able to got once a day!
I would GREATLY appreciate it if you're able to participate & share this in any way! Would love to have support from my drum corps family!
Here's the link:
http://dreamjobbing.com/l/00058c
Here's my background in drum corps:
White Sabers (DCA) Color Guard, 2006
Rochester Crusaders (DCA) Mellophone, 2007-2009
Carolina Crown (DCI) Mellophone, 2010
The Cadets (DCI) Mellophone, 2011-2012
Boston Crusaders (DCI) Videographer, 2013
The Cadets/YEA! (DCI/DCA) Media Producer, 2014
THANKS!!!

-i-a (Sorry; I see the title got cut off.)
How many people here know the original 1952 Guy Mitchell recording?
"And I've just gotta get five or ten ..." tenths in several captions, is doubtless what some of these corps are thinking, although one corps who is not thinking that is...
"The Commandant's Own" aka The U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, who will be appearing in exhibition, at:
DCI Pittsburgh Presented by Three Rivers
Baldwin High School Stadium
4653 Clairton Blvd. (PA Route 51)
Pittsburgh, PA 15236
Sunday, August 3, 2014 -- 7:00 p.m.
Corps in performance order:
--Cascades
--Mandarins
--Pacific Crest
--Colts
--Blue Knights
--Blue Stars
--Boston Crusaders
--Phantom Regiment
More information here.
And here's a news story about the show from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The National Weather Service says there is a 30% chance of showers Sunday night, with showtime temperature of about 70 degrees.

Drums Along the Mohawk
Rome Free Academy Stadium
500 Turin St.
Rome, NY 13440
Wed., July 30 -- 7:00 p.m. (EDT)
I didn't see a thread for this one. Here's the show site. These are the corps in show order:
Cascades
Mandarins
Oregon Crusaders
Pacific Crest
Troopers
Blue Knights
Madison Scouts
Boston Crusaders
Preceded at 6:45 p.m. by a performance from the Saints Brigade all-age corps.
NWS indicates rain passing through the area right now, so I'm guessing a delay is possible.

Akron Cinecast Review
Let’s start off with some disclaimers. I’m a guard person, and I’m much more active in the winter than in the summer. I have no musical training, so I can’t comment much on brass or percussion. I mostly watched the color guard and overall visual effect. With that out of the way, here we go.
Cavaliers: I just could not get into this show because of the cheesiness factor. My guess is this show looks and feels much different under the lights, because during the day it felt comical and forced from the guard. The guard characterization was not right for me – I know that’s what they were given, but as an overall concept I think it was wrong. Also, didn’t Crossmen do this a few years back? Positively, the marimba feature is awesome. I enjoyed the drill; lots of visual impact and some clean moments from a guard perspective. The guard relies heavily on the 8 weapon boys – kind of obvious that there are some flag members that are struggling. Cavies have a high upside with their visual, but there needs to be a more mature vibe from the color guard.
Scouts: The commentators nailed it at the end of the performance: what was the significance of the actor who walks from one corner to the other corner, does a tumbling routine, and then show’s over? I know this characterization will be added in, but they’ve created so many moments around him that to not explain him or his role was criminal. They even had a show designer talking about the show who made no mention of it. I like the progression from black and white to psychedelic. The guard has a lot to clean and clarify, but I was underwhelmed by vocabulary and impact. Another reviewer said there weren’t a lot of impact moments, and I agree. What’s memorable about this show? Corps proper uniforms weren’t impressive, but the guard looked good. Overall, I would have put them last tonight.
Boston: Okay, I liked this show, and I’m trying to separate bias. Michael Lentz show design is all over this production, and it’s obviously something new to DCI, let alone Boston. The corps struggled through their first performance. The visual demand is sky-high, and achievement is way behind. BAC has so much work ahead of them to clean up visually. That said, I love the moments. I am familiar with Lentz’s style in the winter, and it’s clear they went visual first (as opposed to Bluecoats/Scouts music first). The guard personifies the show, and I thought they struggled to meet a high-demand show. Weapons probably had the most drops of all corps. The last minute or two of work still needs to be filled in. But again, I like this show. I didn’t need a storyline, and clearly they know where their moments are. I thought they should have been closer to Cavies, but obviously a lot of dirt to be cleaned and filled in. I am looking forward to seeing where this show is at the end of July.
Phantom: Totally opposite from Boston in terms of readability and cleanliness. This is probably my favorite PR production in sometime. Clear storyline that’s not totally hokey. PR’s guard puts a lot of emphasis on clean, readable work; although to me it looked like harder work than last year. They need to work on some of the transition stuff, especially uniform changes because it was just way too forced instead of an impactful change. The music was very enjoyable, and complimented the visual. PR has a history of adding onto their visual over the summer, so I look forward to the additions. As it stands now, they just look safe. Solidly middle of the finalist pack, and only ahead because of clarity. Very similar to last year, and I could see them getting passed by a corps or three. The white guard costumes were correct, but not totally flattering to the girls. Characterization was spot on – they expressed themselves wonderfully and believably. My favorite moment might have been the wing-flapping free arms under a toss. I’m not sure what more beef can be added to this show, so it will really be up to other corps to see if they can catch up to PR’s polished show.
Cadets: I saw their run-through they posted as a live feed, so I spent a lot of time watching my friend who was featured in a lot of parts. Great overall show, and felt more traditional than the corps around them. Music was great as I love Copland. Guard was performing at a high level. I am wondering about the costume changes and hoping that adds more to the visual program. I don’t really like the blue costumes – they don’t seem to be the right shade to evoke Americana and lore. My other big criticism was the long phrases of ensemble work. I wanted to see something a little more interesting instead of the whole guard spinning the same work. That style is great for an effect, but after a while loses its luster. I see why the corps is winning; there is not a down section of the show. But I do struggle to come up with a memorable or signature moment besides the ending, which is mostly memorable for being a big musical hit. I could see this show leveling off and falling out of a medal.
Crown: This was a hard show for me to consider. At times, the show was championship caliber – pushing boundaries, creating amazing visual impact, and interesting and entertaining music. But, there were also moments of nothing – no impact, no emotion, and using props/equipment just to be using props/equipment. And so I am not sure if I like this show or not. I don’t think the trampolines add much – there wasn’t anything super cool being done with them. I liked the Frisbees, but did not like the hoops the guard danced with. I hated the guard costumes – looked very high school and not like mature performers (exception: the face mask was interesting). If Crown can resolve the dead portions of their show and eliminate some of the cheesiness I would be much more on board. A lot of high achievement from the guard, but the costumes made them look young. I had similar feelings about the corps proper uniforms – I think it makes the corps look short (or maybe it was a bad camera angle). There’s a lot to play around with in this show, so I am looking forward to seeing where the show evolves.
Bluecoats: Another show where I spent a lot of time looking for my friend in the guard. As an aside, I have no idea how the DCI judges stay focused for the whole show. There’s a lot of tenacity there. Back to Bloo, this show was great, but still a step behind Crown/Cadets. The problem with moving up in the rankings is you have to knock someone out, and I’m not sure if they can dislodge Crown/Cadets/BD for a medalist spot. The programming was great – I really enjoy the concept of tilt with the props and the altered field. One example – when the guard spins around the perimeter, it’s a great effect as opposed to when Madison did it which looked thin and too spread out. I appreciate a lot of the nuance, but I think they need to dial it up to take a crack at the corps above them. I love where the show is going so I hope they can pull it off.

The Crusaders posted on Facebook some sneak peeks of their uniforms.
The full color picture can been seen in an advertisement in the March Edition of Halftime Magazine but you need a subscription.
http://halftimemag.com/articles/subscribe.html
I don't know what do expect from them. It looks really similar to the regular red underneath last years gray uniforms.

Hello Everyone!
My name is Juan and I'm a music education major at HCC. Last summer I had the opportunity to march contra with the Boston Crusaders. It was one of the best experiences of my life! This upcoming summer will be my last chance to march with the Boston Crusaders ever because I will be aging out. This year's tuition fee is $3,500 and this is very hard to pay being a full time college student. I really need all of your help to make my age out year a reality. I wish nothing more that to have the opportunity to age out with such an amazing organization doing what I love most. Anything you can give will help tremendously!! THANK YOU!
You can help me out at:
https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/2deXa/ab/61Bat0?
Email:
jd412007@yahoo.com

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